ASSOCIATES

Random and bite-sized facts on all things on the mythical band Associates. Totally random but totally fascinating if you're into it. Do you know Associates now?

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The Associates began under some very different names

Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine performed under names including the Ascorbic Ones and Mental Torture before settling on The Associates. Rankine later joked that the Ascorbic Ones were a fantasy band they had invented to give themselves a past.

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Their first single was an unauthorised David Bowie cover

The Associates recorded “Boys Keep Swinging” without permission, just six weeks after Bowie's original became a UK Top 10 hit. The stunt helped attract attention and eventually led to a recording deal.

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Their debut album was recorded without two members of their live lineup

Although bassist Michael Dempsey and drummer John Murphy became important parts of the group, neither played on the 1980 debut album, “The Affectionate Punch”. The record was co-produced by Mike Hedges, who was impressed by Mackenzie and Rankine's experimental approach.

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Two experimental singles were recorded for just £100

“Tell Me Easter’s On Friday” and “Q Quarters”, released in 1981, were recorded with producer Flood at Morgan Studios for a reported £100. “Q Quarters” is particularly cinematic, with eerie echoes, coughs and footsteps creating an atmosphere more like a film soundtrack than a conventional pop single.

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Producer Mike Hedges once tried recording drums underwater

Hedges was willing to experiment in almost any direction. His willingness to try unusual recording techniques suited The Associates perfectly, as the duo were constantly searching for sounds that conventional pop production would normally avoid.

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“Kitchen Person” featured a vacuum cleaner vocal

For the 1981 single “Kitchen Person”, Billy Mackenzie sang down a vacuum cleaner, while the rhythm included the sound of an electric typewriter. The band were determined to make a record that sounded unlike anything else on the charts.

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“White Car in Germany” used some very unlikely sound sources

The track, released in 1981, featured Mackenzie singing through greaseproof paper and a comb. Other unusual sounds included flapping hardboard, helping create the strange, reverberant atmosphere that made the Associates’ singles from this period so distinctive.

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“Sulk” songs had existed in their live set years earlier

Several songs that appeared on the 1982 album “Sulk”, including “No”, “Nude Spoons” and “It’s Better This Way”, were already part of the Associates’ live repertoire in 1980. The band then transformed these existing songs in the studio through elaborate layers of sound and experimentation.

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The opening of “No” contains a mysterious metallic sound

Producer Mike Hedges recalled that the unusual sound at the start of “No” involved a flanger with the hum of a guitar amplifier running through it, alongside what may have been steel parcel banding or a measuring tape. It is a good example of how the Associates turned everyday objects into musical textures.

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The piano sound on “Party Fears Two” was carefully engineered

The song's distinctive piano was recorded using an unusual microphone setup. Mike Hedges described removing the top of an SM58 microphone, placing it on the piano's soundboard, closing the lid and sending the signal through an amplifier with the chorus effect turned up. The result helped give the track its bright, almost otherworldly sound.

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“Party Fears Two” was written years before it became a hit

Alan Rankine recalled that the main musical idea for “Party Fears Two” dated back to 1977. The Associates deliberately held it back, believing it was too good to release before they had found the right moment. A rough demo recorded in early 1981 helped them secure a major-label deal.

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“Sulk” was described by Billy Mackenzie as “ABBA on acid”

Mackenzie used the phrase to capture the contrast between the album’s grand, melodic pop and its more unsettling, eccentric edges. Released in 1982, “Sulk” brought together lavish arrangements, unusual production and his extraordinary vocal range.

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Alan Rankine played a remarkable number of instruments

Rankine was far more than the band’s guitarist. He played keyboards and other instruments across their recordings, helping build the elaborate arrangements that sit beneath Mackenzie’s voice. Producer Mike Hedges later described him as a maestro at almost everything.

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They once used water balloons to create guitar sounds

The Associates experimented with rubbing water balloons against guitar strings to produce unusual textures. It was typical of their approach: rather than relying entirely on conventional instruments and effects, they treated the recording studio as a place to discover sounds by trial and error.

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“White Car in Germany” sounded futuristic partly by design

The track opens “Fourth Drawer Down”, their 1981 collection of singles. Its strange, electronic atmosphere was built from unconventional sounds and studio manipulation, creating something that seemed to come from a different musical world than the chart pop of the time.

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The band’s major-label advance funded an extravagant move

During the making of “Sulk”, Mackenzie and Rankine reportedly spent a substantial part of their advance moving into separate rooms at an expensive London hotel. Mackenzie even had an extra room for his pet whippets, which he reportedly fed smoked salmon from room service.

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“18 Carat Love Affair” followed their biggest hit

Released in 1982 after “Party Fears Two” and “Club Country”, “18 Carat Love Affair” continued the Associates’ run of flamboyant, highly stylised pop singles. Its extravagant presentation and theatrical vocal performance captured the band at their commercial peak.

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Alan Rankine left just as “Sulk” was taking off

Rankine departed in 1982 after a disagreement with Mackenzie over the cancellation of a planned US tour. The split came at the moment when the Associates were enjoying their greatest commercial success, leaving Mackenzie to continue under the band’s name.

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Rankine later helped launch Belle and Sebastian

While teaching at Stow College in Glasgow, Rankine helped students establish the Electric Honey record label. Its early releases included Belle and Sebastian’s debut album “Tigermilk” in 1996. Rankine gave the group the opportunity to make the record and helped bring their music into the world.

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The Associates briefly reunited in the 1990s

Mackenzie and Rankine began working together again in 1993, generating excitement about new Associates material. The reunion did not last, however, and the partnership fizzled out without producing a sustained return to recording and performing together.

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“Party Fears Two” was deliberately kept in reserve

Alan Rankine said the main musical idea for “Party Fears Two” dated back to 1977. He and Billy Mackenzie knew it was special, so they held it back rather than release it before the right moment. A rough demo made in early 1981 helped secure their major-label deal.

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They used half-speed recording to make performances sound strange

Bassist Michael Dempsey recalled that The Associates sometimes recorded parts at half speed and played them back at normal speed. The technique helped make performances sound unusually tight and mechanical, while also giving the instruments a distinctive character.

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Billy Mackenzie gave Alan Rankine colours instead of musical instructions

In the studio, Mackenzie might tell Rankine that a bassline should sound “green” rather than “blue”. Rankine recalled these cryptic descriptions in an interview, explaining that they were part of the duo’s playful, unconventional way of working together.

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Their early songs were written to work without a full band

Rankine explained that many early songs began with just voice and guitar, partly because the duo had no intention of touring with a large keyboard setup. Their elaborate studio arrangements therefore grew out of songs that had initially been conceived in a much more stripped-back form.

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“Fourth Drawer Down” gathered singles that had not originally been an album

Released in 1981, “Fourth Drawer Down” collected the A-sides and B-sides from the five singles The Associates issued that year on the independent Situation Two label. Its unusual track sequence brings together a period of experimentation that might otherwise have remained scattered across separate releases.

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John Leckie recorded songs that remained unreleased for decades

Before “Sulk”, producer John Leckie recorded material with the band including “Australia” and “Me, Myself + The Tragic Story”. These recordings later surfaced on reissues, offering a glimpse of a different production direction from the Mike Hedges sessions that became central to the Associates’ best-known sound.

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“Eloise” was among their unlikely cover versions

The Associates recorded a rough, previously unreleased version of “Eloise”, the dramatic 1968 hit by Barry Ryan. The recording later appeared among archival material, showing Mackenzie taking on a song already famous for its theatrical scale and demanding vocal performance.

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“Jukebox Bucharest” preserved their early punk-era sound

Alan Rankine recalled the early song “Jukebox Bucharest” when discussing archival recordings. He described its guitar sound as thin and heavily compressed, and its performance as very fast. It captures the rougher, more immediate side of the duo before their grander studio productions.

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Their songs often started with wordplay rather than a clear narrative

Rankine recalled having to tell Mackenzie that some of his early lyrics were too obviously built around spoonerisms, malapropisms and other verbal tricks. He encouraged him to make the wordplay subtler, a process that helped give the Associates’ lyrics their distinctive mix of ambiguity and emotional intensity.

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“The Glamour Chase” became one of their great lost albums

Billy Mackenzie recorded an album called “The Glamour Chase” after the original Associates partnership had ended, but it was shelved by the record company and not officially released until 2002. Its long delay turned it into one of the most intriguing missing chapters in the Associates story.

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The Associates once recorded through a vacuum cleaner hose

Alan Rankine recalled that Billy Mackenzie sang through greaseproof paper and a comb on “White Car in Germany” and “Kitchen Person”. On “Kitchen Person”, he also sang down a vacuum cleaner hose before the sound reached the microphone.

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They could spend a night recording for just £100

For the Situation Two singles “Tell Me Easter’s On Friday” and “Q Quarters”, the group worked with engineer Flood at Morgan Studios. Alan Rankine recalled that they would arrive at 9pm on Sunday and leave at 9am on Monday, with the session costing just £100.

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Their live arrangements were deliberately stripped back

Rankine explained that he and Mackenzie wrote many early songs knowing they would have to perform them live without the elaborate keyboard arrangements heard on record. The pair initially had no intention of taking keyboards onstage.

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“Party Fears Two” was held back for years

The central musical idea for “Party Fears Two” dated back to 1977. Rankine said they kept it in reserve because they felt releasing it too early would waste its potential. A rough demo made in early 1981 helped secure their major-label deal.

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“Club Country” was written well before its release

Rankine said “Club Country” was written in June and July 1980, long before it became a hit single in 1982. Its critique of fashionable nightlife came from the pair’s own experience of visiting clubs such as Blitz and Le Beat Route and finding the scene snobbish.

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The band’s live lineup grew dramatically

Rankine recalled that the group had been a lean four-piece in the summer and autumn of 1980. By 1982, the live lineup had expanded to nine people, including two keyboard players and backing vocalists. He later felt the larger setup had become unwieldy.

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Billy Mackenzie refused to play the major-label game

Rankine recalled that when record companies wanted the band to prove themselves, Mackenzie reacted angrily rather than treating it as a necessary step. Rankine thought the freedom of releasing music independently would probably have suited him better.

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Their £69,000 advance for “Sulk” wasn’t all spent on excess

In an interview, Rankine challenged the stories that the group simply squandered its money. He said they used £30,000 of their advance to secure a block booking at Playground Studios, giving them several months to work on the album.

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U2 were regulars at the Associates’ Marquee shows

Rankine later recalled that U2 members came to the Associates’ Sunday gigs at the Marquee in London. He believed the Associates’ sound had influenced U2, and pointed to Bono later acknowledging the debt in the sleeve notes for *October*. This is Rankine’s recollection of their influence, rather than proof that every aspect of U2’s sound came from them.

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Rankine thought “Sulk” was a flawed masterpiece

In a 2022 interview marking the album’s 40th anniversary, Rankine described *Sulk* as a “flawed masterpiece”. The comment captures the complicated way he looked back on the record: proud of what they created, but aware of the problems that surrounded the band at the height of its success.

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The title “Fourth Drawer Down” had a very literal origin

The title of the 1981 compilation came from a drawer in the flat where The Associates were living. According to the story later recounted in band histories, it contained herbal tablets the pair took as relaxants and sleep aids. It was a very Associates sort of title: mundane domestic detail turned into something mysterious.

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Billy Mackenzie planned an almost absurd number of singles

In a 1981 issue of Smash Hits, Mackenzie announced plans to release ten singles before the end of the year. The ambition fitted the group's extraordinary burst of creativity, although the plan was never fulfilled literally.

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“Fourth Drawer Down” was not originally conceived as a conventional album

The 1981 release gathered together the A-sides and B-sides of the Associates’ run of singles for Situation Two. Rather than a carefully sequenced collection of unrelated album tracks, it captured a period when the group was releasing a stream of experimental standalone records.

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They recorded more music than anyone could easily keep track of

When Michael Dempsey helped prepare expanded reissues of the early albums, he spent nine months tracking down more than 600 tapes held in studios, record-company storage and private collections. He said the chaotic circumstances of the band’s career meant that the master tapes had ended up scattered everywhere.

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The original multitrack masters of two major hits disappeared

Dempsey said the multitrack tapes for “Party Fears Two” and “Club Country” had long been missing. He explained that nobody knew what had happened to many of the Associates’ tapes, making the archival work more difficult than simply opening a record-company vault.

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“Arrogance Gave Him Up” was already part of their live identity

Before it appeared on *Sulk*, “Arrogance Gave Him Up” had served as an opening number at Associates concerts. The song’s earlier recorded form was known as “Me, Myself + The Tragic Story”, showing how material could evolve between early recording, live performance and its eventual album release.

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The Associates’ Peel Sessions captured different versions of their songs

Their BBC sessions were more than straightforward promotional performances. The group could radically reshape material for the studio, and the sessions preserved versions of songs and B-sides that differed from the released recordings. Some were recorded months before the albums they later became associated with.

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“The Affectionate Punch” was difficult to reproduce live

Alan Rankine recalled that when the band began playing gigs to promote their debut album, they could manage only three songs from it. The record relied heavily on keyboards, while their live approach was initially much more stripped back.

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Billy Mackenzie’s voice was a major influence on Björk

Björk later singled out *Sulk* as an important record in her development as a singer. She praised Mackenzie’s spontaneity and described his voice as unusual and almost elemental, rather than simply calling him a soul singer.

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“Fourth Drawer Down” helped establish their reputation as sonic experimenters

The compilation’s songs often make instruments difficult to identify: noises, treated guitars and unexpected sounds are woven into the arrangements. Contemporary critics recognised that the Associates were deliberately dismantling conventional ideas of how pop songs should sound, even when that experimentation made the records harder to sell.

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Billy Mackenzie had a very specific idea of what pop should sound like

In a 1982 interview, Mackenzie said that although black singers and Philadelphia soul had influenced his voice, what he wanted to make next was “light, bumpy, abstract pop”. It’s a revealing description of the music The Associates were making at their commercial peak.

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The title “Party Fears Two” came from an unlikely source

Mackenzie told an interviewer that the title came from a phrase he had heard from someone who admired the stiletto heels worn by a pair of women. He took the words and turned them into the title of one of the band’s most celebrated songs.

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Rankine and Mackenzie were already planning far beyond “Sulk”

A 1982 *Sounds* feature described the Associates working on material intended for several albums ahead. Even while promoting *Sulk*, they were already thinking about music that might not appear for years.

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“18 Carat Love Affair” was inspired by an agony aunt

Rankine later explained that the lyrics referred to Evelyn Home, the agony-aunt pseudonym used in *Woman* magazine. He also described the song as being about a secret gay affair, wrapped in the sound of an extravagant 1960s-style pop single.

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They were playing songs from the future before the records existed

In 1980, the group spent around two and a half months playing occasional gigs in Scotland, trying out new material rather than following a conventional, tightly scheduled tour. Rankine recalled that they might get a gig one week and then have nothing arranged for the next.

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Their punk version of “Eloise” was played at breakneck speed

Rankine said that he and Mackenzie loved the grand, dramatic pop singles of the late 1960s, including “Eloise”, originally recorded by Barry Ryan. Their own version was a fast, rough-edged punk interpretation, later appearing among the previously unheard recordings on the expanded Associates reissues.

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Rankine could hear a completely different song in the instrumental of “Party Fears Two”

An instrumental version included with the expanded *Sulk* edition exposed the song’s layers in a way the familiar hit version didn’t. Rankine said that, despite being able to hear the instruments more clearly, something essential was missing without Mackenzie’s voice.

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The Associates’ early gigs were often arranged at short notice

Rankine recalled that the band’s early Scottish performances were not part of a grand plan. Agents would call with a gig ten days or a fortnight away, and the group would simply go and play. It was a far cry from the large-scale touring expected after “Party Fears Two” became a hit.

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Mackenzie was already looking beyond the partnership before it ended

Rankine later said that by the time the band were expected to tour America after their 1982 success, Mackenzie was reluctant even to rehearse the hit songs to reproduce them onstage. Rankine believed Mackenzie needed to work with other musicians and explore new creative directions.

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Rankine remembered Mackenzie’s voice as something no instrumental could replace

Discussing the instrumental “Party Fears Two”, Rankine said that the song seemed to have a great big hole without Mackenzie’s vocal. It’s a striking comment from the musician responsible for so much of the Associates’ elaborate instrumental sound: he recognised that the singer was not simply another layer in the arrangement, but the element that made it whole.

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The original split happened at the worst possible moment

The Associates broke apart just as “Party Fears Two”, “Club Country” and *Sulk* were making them one of Britain's most exciting pop acts. Alan Rankine had been looking forward to touring America, but Billy Mackenzie refused to go ahead with the planned tour. Rankine eventually decided he couldn't continue in the partnership.

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Billy's decision reportedly came at the last minute

Michael Dempsey later recalled that Mackenzie announced he wouldn't play a Scottish gig on the night before it was due to take place. Dempsey believed Mackenzie had already been signalling that the band couldn't continue as it was, but the way events unfolded was still dramatic.

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A major American deal was in the picture

According to Dempsey, the group had met Seymour Stein and been offered a substantial deal shortly before the touring plans fell apart. Mackenzie didn't want to proceed. It was a particularly painful moment because the band seemed to be on the verge of breaking through on a much larger international scale.

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Mackenzie did not regard the split as a simple falling-out

In a 1984 *Record Mirror* interview, Mackenzie said that he and Rankine had needed to separate for musical progress. He also said that he still liked Rankine, while disliking aspects of the lifestyle they had shared. His comments suggest a relationship that was more complicated than a straightforward feud.

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The Associates continued after Rankine left

Mackenzie kept the Associates name and made further records with different musicians. The 1985 album *Perhaps* was one of the first major results of this new phase. Although it retained the group's name, the original songwriting partnership with Rankine was no longer intact.

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“The Glamour Chase” was recorded but left unreleased

Mackenzie recorded a follow-up to *Perhaps*, but the record company rejected it. The album, *The Glamour Chase*, remained unreleased for years, leaving a substantial gap in the Associates' official album history. It finally appeared alongside *Perhaps* on a 2002 CD reissue.

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“Wild and Lonely” was the final Associates studio album

Released in 1990, *Wild and Lonely* was made by Mackenzie with a different group of collaborators. It included a more polished, dance-oriented sound than the early records, but it failed to revive the band's earlier commercial success. Rankine was not part of the album.

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The reunion began with real songwriting, not just talk

Mackenzie and Rankine met again in 1993 and wrote nearly a dozen songs together. The reunion didn't lead to a finished comeback album, but some of the recordings survived and were later included on the archival compilation *Double Hipness*.

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The planned reunion failed for familiar reasons

The two musicians had managed to work together again, but a new Associates album never emerged. The Guardian's retrospective account says Mackenzie couldn't commit to the project, and the partnership fizzled out once more. The surviving demos offer a glimpse of what a second chapter might have sounded like.

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The Associates' end is usually dated differently depending on what you mean

The original Mackenzie–Rankine partnership effectively ended in 1982, when Rankine left. Mackenzie continued releasing records as the Associates until *Wild and Lonely* in 1990, and the two briefly reunited in 1993. So there wasn't one simple moment when every version of the band ceased to exist.

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Billy Mackenzie travelled to New Zealand as a teenager

Mackenzie left Dundee at around 16 and spent time in New Zealand before travelling around America. His restless teenage years were a long way from the conventional route into the music industry, and his experiences abroad became part of the colourful personal history he later recounted in interviews.

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He briefly married while travelling in America

At 17, Mackenzie married Chloe Dummar in Las Vegas. The marriage lasted only a few months before he returned to Scotland. Years later, the unusual story continued to attract attention because Dummar's family was connected to the famous legal dispute over Howard Hughes's estate.

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He worked with Yello on several occasions

Mackenzie contributed vocals and songwriting to recordings by the Swiss electronic duo Yello. His work included “Moon on Ice” and “Goldrush” on their album *One Second*. His voice suited their eccentric electronic production, which gave him a way to explore music beyond the Associates sound.

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He wrote lyrics for Shirley Bassey's “The Rhythm Divine”

Yello's 1987 single “The Rhythm Divine” featured Shirley Bassey singing lyrics co-written by Mackenzie. A separate version with Mackenzie singing lead was later released on the Associates compilation *Popera*, allowing listeners to hear how the song sounded with his voice rather than Bassey's.

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Boris Blank loved how quickly Mackenzie worked

Yello's Boris Blank later recalled that Mackenzie was exceptionally fast in the studio and always wanted to move on to something new. Blank described their working relationship as harmonious, saying they never had to fight over musical decisions.

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He performed with Josef K's Paul Haig

During the 1980s, Mackenzie worked with Paul Haig, formerly of the Scottish post-punk band Josef K. Their live appearances in Glasgow and Edinburgh mixed their own songs with unexpected covers, including Sly and the Family Stone's “Running Away” and Yoko Ono's “Walking on Thin Ice”.

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He released just one solo album during his lifetime

*Outernational*, released in 1992, was Mackenzie's only solo studio album issued while he was alive. It was an ambitious record, with elaborate arrangements that sometimes placed the singer's extraordinary voice inside dense, carefully constructed production rather than letting it dominate the music.

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He was a keen breeder of whippets

Away from recording studios, Mackenzie devoted considerable time to breeding and raising whippets. The dogs were a lasting interest throughout his adult life and offered a very different side to the flamboyant singer seen in music magazines and on television.

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He spoke openly about attraction beyond conventional labels

In a 1996 *Time Out* interview, Mackenzie explained that he was drawn to individuals rather than setting strict boundaries around gender. It was one of his clearest public statements on his sexuality, made only months before his death.

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His final recordings included a collaboration with Apollo 440

One of Mackenzie's final recording contributions was “Pain in Any Language”, a track written with the electronic group Apollo 440. It showed that he was still seeking new collaborators and musical directions late in his life, rather than simply revisiting the sound that had made him famous.

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He was a serious tennis player before music took over

As a teenager, Rankine played tennis at national level and considered pursuing it professionally. He eventually decided that his height would make it difficult to compete against taller players as the game changed. Music became his main focus instead.

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Norman Greenbaum helped inspire him to play guitar

Rankine was struck by the guitar sound on Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit “Spirit in the Sky”. He later recalled hearing it and thinking that he wanted to make that kind of sound himself. He practised guitar for hours a day.

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He taught himself piano after abandoning lessons

Rankine took up piano after learning guitar, but his formal lessons ended after an unpleasant experience with a tutor when he was 17. He taught himself instead, developing the keyboard skills that would become central to the Associates' sound.

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Before The Associates, he played in a cabaret band

Rankine's early group was called Caspian, a Scottish cabaret band. It was a very different environment from the angular, experimental pop he would later create with Billy Mackenzie. The band needed a singer, which led Rankine to Mackenzie.

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He spotted Billy Mackenzie at a performance by another band

Rankine first became interested in Mackenzie after seeing him perform with a group called Stan & Deliver. He invited him to join Caspian, and the pair began developing the musical partnership that eventually became The Associates.

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He played a major role in the Associates' distinctive sound

Mackenzie's voice often dominates discussions of the group, but Rankine was a multi-instrumentalist who helped build the music around it. His guitar, keyboards, arrangements and studio experimentation were central to records such as “Party Fears Two” and “Club Country”.

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Robert Smith sang backing vocals on their debut album

The Cure's Robert Smith contributed backing vocals to The Associates' 1980 debut album, *The Affectionate Punch*. It is an easily overlooked connection between two important strands of British post-punk.

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He became a producer for the Cocteau Twins

After leaving The Associates in 1982, Rankine moved into production and worked on the Cocteau Twins' *Peppermint Pig* EP, released in 1983. He also worked with artists including Paul Haig and The Pale Fountains, building a career beyond his own records.

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His solo records explored a different side of his musicianship

Rankine released three solo albums during the 1980s: *The World Begins to Look Her Age*, *She Loves Me Not* and *The Big Picture Sucks*. The last of these, released in 1989, was entirely instrumental, allowing his musical ideas to stand without a lead singer.

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He helped Belle and Sebastian make their debut album

While teaching at Stow College in Glasgow, Rankine encouraged students to make a record as part of their coursework. The group that became Belle and Sebastian recorded *Tigermilk*, which Electric Honey released in 1996. Rankine helped create the opportunity that brought the album into existence.

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His influence extended to Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro

Electric Honey, the student-run label Rankine helped establish, also released early records by Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro. His later career therefore connected the experimental pop of The Associates with the next generation of Scottish and Northern Irish guitar bands.

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The Associates released a single under a completely different name

In 1981, Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine released a version of “Kites”, originally a hit for Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, under the name 39 Lyon Street. Christine Beveridge sang lead vocals. It was an unusual side project for a duo already developing one of the most recognisable voices in British pop.

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Their version of “Boys Keep Swinging” was deliberately provocative

The Associates released their cover of David Bowie's “Boys Keep Swinging” in 1979, just weeks after Bowie's original became a hit. Mackenzie later explained that they wanted to provoke a reaction and make people notice them. The gamble worked: the single attracted attention and helped them secure a record deal.

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They made music under the name Mental Torture

Before settling on The Associates, Mackenzie and Rankine recorded under the name Mental Torture. Their earliest identity was fluid: Rankine later described the supposed earlier history of the pair as partly invented, adding to the mythology they created around themselves.

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“A Girl Named Property” had a history before it appeared on a B-side

The song was a reworking of “Mona Property Girl”, which had appeared on the B-side of the Associates' “Boys Keep Swinging” single. Its appearance under different titles and forms shows how the pair revisited and reshaped their own material rather than treating each recording as a one-off.

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Martha Ladly helped shape the sound of “Sulk”

Martha Ladly, formerly of Martha and the Muffins, contributed keyboards and backing vocals to *Sulk*. Her involvement added another voice and musical perspective to the album's elaborate arrangements, helping turn the record into something much bigger than a simple duo performance.

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“18 Carat Love Affair” was not included on the original UK album

Although “18 Carat Love Affair” followed “Party Fears Two” and “Club Country” as a single in 1982, it was not on the original UK track listing of *Sulk*. It was later added to expanded editions, where it sits alongside the album that made the Associates famous.

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The band treated studio equipment as an instrument in its own right

The Associates experimented with early drum machines and digital sampling technology, including the Fairlight CMI. But they also used ordinary objects in unexpected ways: an electric typewriter could become percussion, and unconventional microphone placement could turn everyday sounds into musical textures.

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They recorded “Kites” with a different singer for a reason

Christine Beveridge's vocal on the 39 Lyon Street version of “Kites” was a deliberate departure from the usual Mackenzie-led Associates sound. It let Rankine and Mackenzie approach the song from a different angle, with the performance built around Beveridge rather than Mackenzie's distinctive voice.

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Their studio sessions were disciplined despite the wild stories

The stories about the making of *Sulk* often focus on the band's excesses and bizarre experiments. But producer Mike Hedges and bassist Michael Dempsey later stressed that the sessions were also intensely focused. The group could spend long hours pursuing a very specific sound, with Mackenzie demanding unusual results from the people around him.

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They left behind a much bigger archive than their released albums suggest

Later reissues uncovered early demos, alternative recordings and previously unheard songs, including “Jukebox Bucharest” and a rough version of “Eloise”. These recordings reveal a group that kept experimenting from its punk beginnings, even when the results were too rough or unconventional to be released at the time.

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